Leiji Matsumoto
|birthdate= |birthplace=Kurume, Fukuoka, Japan |deathdate= |deathplace= |nationality=Japanese |field=character design, illustration |training= |movement= |works=''Space Battleship Yamato, ''Captain Harlock, Galaxy Express 999 |patrons= |awards=Order of the Rising Sun#4th Class, Gold Rays with Rosette }} is a well-known creator of several anime and manga series. His wife is also known as a manga artist.allcinema 牧美也子 まき・みやこ Space opera Matsumoto is famous for his space operas such as Space Battleship Yamato. His style is characterized by tragic heroes; tall, slender, fragile-looking heroines with strong wills and in some cases, god-like powers; and a love of analog gauges and dials in his spacecraft. Career Matsumoto made his debut under his real name, Akira Matsumoto, in 1953. His wife is shōjo manga artist Miyako Maki (better known as the creator of the doll, Licca-chan, the Japanese equivalent of Barbie). Matsumoto had his big break with Otoko Oidon, a series that chronicled the life of a rōnin (a young man who was preparing himself for entrance examinations to universities and colleges), in 1971. Around the same time he started a series of unconnected short stories set during World War II, Senjo Manga Series, which would eventually become popular under the title The Cockpit. He was involved in Space Battleship Yamato (1974) and the debut of the highly popular series Captain Harlock and Galaxy Express 999 (both 1977). In 1978, he was awarded the Shogakukan Manga Award for shōnen for Galaxy Express 999 and Senjo Manga Series. | publisher=Shogakukan | language=Japanese | accessdate=2007-08-19}} Animated versions of Captain Harlock and Galaxy Express 999 are set in the same universe, which spanned several spin offs and related series, most notably Queen Emeraldas and Queen Millennia. Matsumoto supervised the creation of several music videos for the French house group Daft Punk, set to tracks from their album Discovery. These videos were issued end-to-end (making a full-length animated movie) on a DVD release titled Interstella 5555: The 5tory of the 5ecret 5tar 5ystem. About two dozen bronze statues — each perhaps four feet tall — of characters and scenes from Space Battleship Yamato and Galaxy Express 999 were erected in the downtown area of Tsuruga in 1999.http://www.starblazers.com/html.php?page_id=371 Yamatour 2009: Matsumoto Symbol Road Each statue includes a plaque at its base explaining the character, and featuring Matsumoto's signature. of Tokyo Cruise Ship designed by Leiji Matsumoto]] Matsumoto worked with Yoshinobu Nishizaki on Space Battleship Yamato (known outside Japan under various names but most commonly as Star Blazers). Matsumoto created a manga loosely based on the series, and the Yamato makes cameo appearances (sans crew) in several of his works including the Galaxy Express 999 manga. A recent work by Matsumoto called Great Yamato featuring an updated Yamato had to be renamed Great Galaxy due to legal issues with Nishizaki. As of this writing, Matsumoto and Nishizaki are working on independent anime projects featuring the acclaimed Space Battleship Yamato, with the conditions that Matsumoto cannot use the name Yamato or the plot or characters from the original and Nishizaki cannot use the conceptual art, character or ship designs of the original. List of works *''Arei no Kagami'' (1985) *''Fairy Hotaruna'' *''Space Battleship Yamato'' (1974) *''Planet Robot Danguard Ace'' (part of the U.S. Force Five anthology series, as Dangard Ace; 1977–1978) *''Galaxy Express 999'' (1977–1981) *''Captain Harlock'' (1977–1979) *''Starzinger'' (part of the Force Five anthology series, as Spaceketeers) *''Queen Millennia'' (aka Queen of 1000 Years) *''Arcadia of My Youth *''Arcadia of My Youth: Endless Orbit SSX'' *''The Cockpit *''Maeterlinck's Blue Bird: Tyltyl and Mytyl's Adventurous Journey'' *''Queen Emeraldas'' *''Tiger-Striped Mii'' *''The Ultimate Time Sweeper Mahoroba'' (manga) *''Fire Force DNAsights 999.9'' *''Harlock Saga Der Ring des Nibelungen'' *''Maetel Legend *''Cosmo Warrior Zero'' *''Gun Frontier'' (1972–1975) *''Great Galaxy'' (formerly Great Yamato) *''Space Pirate Captain Herlock: The Endless Odyssey'' *''Pu Pu'' (1974) *''Submarine Super 99'' *''Interstella 5555: The 5tory of the 5ecret 5tar 5ystem'' (2003) (In cooperation with Daft Punk) *''The Galaxy Railways'' *''Great Yamato #0'' *''Space Symphony Maetel'' *''Submarine Super 99'' (1964) *''Kousoku Esper'' (1968–1970) *''Sexaroid'' (1968–1970) *''Machinner series'' (1969–1970) *''Mystery Eve'' (1970–1971) *''Dai-yojo-han series'' (1970–1974) *''Otoko Oidon'' (1971–73) *''Senjo Manga series'' (1973–1978) *''Insect'' (1975) *''Saint Elmo - Hikari no Raihousha'' References External links * Leiji Matsumoto Official Home Page * * Category:1938 births Category:Living people Category:People from Kurume, Fukuoka Category:People from Kitakyūshū Category:Japanese animators Category:Manga artists Category:Space Battleship Yamato * bs:Leiji Matsumoto ca:Leiji Matsumoto de:Leiji Matsumoto es:Leiji Matsumoto fr:Leiji Matsumoto ko:마쓰모토 레이지 hr:Leiji Matsumoto it:Leiji Matsumoto ja:松本零士 pl:Leiji Matsumoto pt:Leiji Matsumoto ru:Мацумото, Лэйдзи fi:Leiji Matsumoto sv:Leiji Matsumoto uk:Мацумото Лейдзі zh:松本零士